Heart of a Hare
by Chakat StarDust
Summary: Rosalind Montarue considers herself to be a hare, raised by hares and sister to one too. The only problem is she is not, but she will go to any lengths, face down any foe, to prove that she is. The tale of some of the strangest friends that the creatures of Redwall have ever made.
1. Chapter 1

Star: First Redwall related fic, hooray! I own nothing but the plot and my Ocs

The little farm wasn't far from the coast, near enough in fact that if the wind were blowing right one would be able to smell the sea. The creature hiding in the bushes on the edges of the farm wasn't thinking about the sea, except for hoping that their voyages on the sea were over. His focus was on the two creatures he could see toiling away in the fields, wide-brimmed hats obscuring their features.

The creature narrowed his eyes, squinting slightly. There were dark clouds gathering in the sky, and he had no doubt that it would rain soon. That was quite fine with him, it would actually make his next task easier. Harder to notice a raiding party in the rain, and the rat grinned nastily at the thought, revealing snaggle-teeth.

The farm was fairly small, but it would feed some of the horde the rat was a part of. Their leader would reward him for this find, especially after days of toad-flesh and half-squashed fruit foraged while on the march. Fresh food was a commodity that was rarely enjoyed.

A stiff wind began to blow and one of the working creatures' hat blew off his head, revealing tall, expressive ears; a family of hares then, a small one by the looks of the little house at the other end of the field. The other creature laughed gaily and threw up their own hat. The rat stared in shock at the second creature, unable to believe his eyes.

He snuck away to tell his master what he had seen. The clouds grew darker as the creatures in the field worked, unaware of the rat who had been watching them. As the rain began to fall the little farm was swarmed by vermin. When the attack was done, one of the farmers lay dead, the other was gone, taken.

%&%&%&%

Abbess Mhera drew her cloak a little tighter around herself, hearing the wind howling in the storm outside. It was times like this that she missed Cregga most. The old badger mum had told stories on nights like this, to keep the Dibbuns happy, and they had always soothed Mhera as well.

She sighed softly, no point in dwelling in the past. Cregga had passed some seasons ago now, the Dibbuns who had listened to her stories growing up into fine Abbeybeasts. They had enjoyed peace for those seasons, her brother Deyna not having to take up the mantle of Abbey champion for all that time; her brother the former Taggerung, raised by vermin but never quite becoming one.

Mhera smiled; Deyna was as gentle a beast as they came, immensely patient and kind, especially with the little ones. He never failed to tease her about being his second Mother and she never missed a chance to scold him playfully about it.

She paused in her walking, feeling pensive for some reason all the sudden. She looked up and found herself at the tapestry of Martin the Warrior, the Abbey's founder and original protector, and, according to legend, his spirit still protected this place. He seemed to be looking right at her, smiling benignly as though telling her all would be well. Her eyes began to feel heavy and they slowly slid half-closef as she drowsed.

_Fur of red, but heart of hare_

_Trust the rose, whose thorns are fair_

"Oh sister dear?" Deyna called, breaking Mhera's trance. "It's a little bit nippy in here don't you think, should go down to the kitchens, they've got tea and hot scones down there."

"Oh?" Mhera said, shaking herself a little. Deyna peered worriedly at her.

"You alright?" He asked.

"What?" Mhera blinked herself fully back into reality. "I'm fine, I think Martin just spoke to me though."

"Did he?" Deyna asked, suddenly serious. "What did he say?"

"Fur of red, but heart of hare, trust the rose, whose thorns are fair." Mhera said. "Doesn't make any sense to me."

"Suppose it doesn't, most of the time." Deyna shrugged, unconcerned. "Whatever it is it will sort itself out when it's meant to."

"I suppose it will." Mhera agreed. "And tea does sound wonderful right now."

"I pity the beast that's got to be out in that right now." Deyna commented as the pair made their way down to the kitchens. Outside the storm raged on, no match for the strong stones of Redwall Abbey.

%&%&%&%

Savyon Montarue shook rain out of his ears and wrung out his tunic under the shade of an old oak. "Stupid bally weather." The young hare muttered to himself. "Firewood's no blinking good now, all wet, Da's going to have a fit."

He should have been home ages ago, but the day had been nice so he'd lollygagged at his task, stopping to gorge himself in a nearby raspberry thicket and then sated, took a nap. When he'd woken up the sky was nearly dark as night and he hurried off, but got lost, as he usually did, and had stumbled around blindly for a while before finding their little path again.

"Rosie's going to laugh." He chided himself. He loved his sister, but she did like to tease him so. He supposed it was fair trade, he did yank on her ears, trying to make them the 'proper' size when they were little ones. Of course Rosie had retaliated by trying to yank his tail longer.

Savy peered out into the rain. Was it lightening up, or was it just his imagination. In any case, he should have been getting home, before his da and his sis started to get really worried about him. They knew about his awful sense of direction and didn't often worry about him being late, but if he was really, really late, they would start to worry.

He reluctantly left the shelter of the tree, still hanging onto his load of firewood. It would dry out eventually, and that would be one less trip he'd have to make to get more, he reasoned. Of course it made getting back a little more difficult and he was further bogged down by soggy clothes and water getting into his ears, making him shake his head every few steps to make them stop tickling.

"Rain, rain, go away, come again some other blinking day!" Savy shouted at the sky. It did seem to be lightening up some, but it was still getting in his bally ears! "Snow's much nicer." Savy muttered to himself. "Oh it's cold and it does get a bit wet, but you can play in it and walk over it and it doesn't soak your fur like the blinking rain does. Don't know why Rosie likes it so much."

His sister liked to go out and dance in the rain, which Savy had always thought was a little coo-coo. She was his sister though, and he loved her, quirks and all. Somehow he got the feeling others would find that a bit strange. Rosie was… different. Oh, he hardly thought about it now, but he knew that other people would see her quite differently than he did. He supposed that's why Da had never taken them anywhere like Mossflower, or Redwall or Salamandastron. But, no matter what anyone said, Rosie was his sister and a hare through and through and no one could tell him otherwise.

As he was rounding the bend towards the farm the rain continued to lighten up until it was a mere drizzle. Around a large rock and Savy smiled, knowing he was about to catch his first glimpse of home. His smile died as he spotted their little house. It was completely destroyed, looked like someone had tried to set it alight, and when that failed had just torn it apart.

"Da! Rosie!" He yelled, dropping the firewood and bounding to the house. He dug frantically in the ruins, but neither one was there. Instead of feeling relieved his chest tightened painfully and he whirled around, staring through the darkness, trying to find his family.

"Da! Rosie!" he called again, running into the field. Halfway across he tripped over something and went sprawling into the mud, which had held tomatoes and potatoes and all kinds of foods, but was now stripped bare. He turned to see what he had tripped over and the clouds broke enough for him to see his father's sightless eyes staring back at him.

Savy recoiled with a scream of fear, heart pounding in his ears. After a few moments of gasped breathing he found enough courage to crawl to his da. "Da?" He whispered, placing a paw on a shoulder and shaking gently. His da was stiff and cold. Savy whimpered and curled up into a ball, quivering with repressed tears. Then he remembered his sister.

"Rosie?" He called, searching the field, which was now illuminated by dusk. "ROSIE!" No one came at his bellow though, and he didn't find any other bodies in the mud. "Think, Savy, who would do this?" He asked himself. "No one but vermin, right? So that means…" he gasped in horror. "Those rotters took Rosie!"

He ran back to his da's body. "You always told me I needed to protect her." He whispered, closing his da's eyes gently. "I promise I will find her, and I'll bring her back home, I swear on my life. I can't bury you, I'm sorry, but I can put you in what's left of the house, hopefully then nothing will get at you, but I've got to go after Rosie and I can't let them get too far ahead of me, okay?"

He carried his father's body to the house and pulled the wooden boards over him. "Okay, I'm going to find Rosie, I promise, no one will hurt her." He looked out into the dark and chewed at his lip. "Now, I think they went… this way!" He went charging off into the bush, unaware that he had chosen the exact opposite direction his quarry had taken.


	2. Chapter 2

Star: I own nothing!

Deyna peered out along the path, his sharp eyes searching into the forest as he leaned against the wall overtop the gates. He had been restless all day, as though something were about to happen. He didn't see how, the day was clear, they hadn't seen anything or heard anything about vermin in Mossflower for some time now, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something was going to happen.

Maybe it had something to do with Martin's message from a few days ago. Trust the rose, what did that even mean? Why would they have cause not to trust someone in the first place? That was the question, and he couldn't help but feel as though it carried something of a warning for them. He was on edge now, and carried Martin's sword with him.

"Still broodin'?" Nimbalo, his best friend, asked, hopping up on the wall. "Ain't nothing out there."

"I know, but I can't help the feeling that something's going to go bad." Deyna replied.

"Well, keep an eye out if it makes you feel better." The much smaller mouse said, patting Deyna's arm. "Look, there's your mum and the Dibbuns." Deyna looked to where Nimbalo was pointing and saw his mother, Filorn, and Fwirl leading their crowd of Dibbuns out of the woods from their berry picking expedition.

"Hold on, what's that?" Nimbalo asked, pointing to the woods. Deyna shaded his eyes, seeing the bushes moving. All the sudden somebeast erupted from the bushes, running out onto the path. Deyna had time to register that it was a fox before twenty other vermin came pounding out of the woods, chasing after the fox.

"Mother, get those Dibbuns inside, now!" Deyna yelled. "Nimbalo, get Skipper and his crew and tell everybeast to get up on the walltop with slings and arrows!" Deyna didn't wait for an answer but ran down the stairs and out the gate. Filorn was doing her best to hurry the Dibbuns inside but the vermin were fast approaching.

Suddenly the fox, a vixen, stopped dead, green eyes wide with alarm and then determination. She turned rapidly and threw herself at the vermin, uttering a surprising war cry. "EULALIA!" Deyna was taken aback for a moment and then remembered that he was supposed to be Champion of Redwall.

"REDWWWAAALLLLL!" He roared and jumped into the fray, swinging his blade. The vixen was punching and kicking any vermin that got within reach.

"Eulalia! Give 'em blood and vinegar, drive the cads back!" She was screaming as she kicked at the stomach of a stoat.

"REDWALLL!" The vermin scrambled over themselves to flee as Skipper and his crew came out along with Nimbalo. After a moment only the vixen was left, grinning at Deyna sunnily.

"I say, jolly good show, wot!" She said cheerily. "Bunch of bally cowards, those ones, eh? Twenty of them for one blinking foxmaid, have you ever seen the like?"

Deyna just stared at her, trying to make sense. "I say, that fox talks like a bally hare!" Boorab commented from the walltop. The vixen looked up and waved at him.

"I was raised by hares, wot." She replied. "Rosalind Montarue, at your service, sah, most call me Rosie." She curtsied and then brushed dirt off her torn frock. Deyna frowned slightly, a strange idea coming to him. "Er, sorry about the nasties, had to get away, doncha know, but you lot seem to have things under control, wot."

"What do you want, vermin?" Nimbalo demanded. "We don't want your kind here and don't think I believe for a second that piffle about being raised by hares." Rosie's ears drooped.

"Right, of course, goodbeasts you are, don't want a fox hanging about, eh?" She smiled ruefully. "Can't say I blame you, wot. Only, just one question, you haven't seen another hare around lately? His name is Savyon, I just call him Savy though, he's my brother and I am very worried about him, wot."

"Haven't seen any other hares but Boorab around here." Deyna answered.

"Oh dear, that means he's lost." Rosie sighed, putting a paw over her eyes. "Suppose I'd best try to find him, the blooming fool's got no sense of direction, wot! If you do see him, tell him I was here and I'm heading towards Salamandaston, will you please?" She turned to go and Deyna made his decision.

"Those vermin'll still be in there, miss." He said. "And if you're brother's looking for you too it's best you stay in one place so he can find you."

"Deyna, matey, what're you doing?" Nimbalo whispered.

"Mhera got a message from Martin the Warrior, he said 'fur of red, but heart of hare, trust the rose, their thorns are fair'." Deyna replied. "I've got a red fox in front of me, who claims to have been raised by hares, fights and talks like a hare and is named Rosie. I don't think that's coincidence."

"Maybe…" Nimbalo said doubtfully.

"Perhaps we should take it inside, sah?" Rosie suggested. "There's a lot more vermin where those came from and I bally well don't want to be caught outside with them."

"She's got a point." Skipper said. "And if Martin thinks she's alright, I s'pose we gotta listen, now don't we?"

"But, but…" Nimbalo protested. "Fine, don't think I won't have my eye on you, fox."

"Fair enough, wot." Rosie replied with a bob of her head. She fell in step beside Deyna as they headed inside. "You're a spiffin' example of an otter, eh? How much scoff do you eat to grow so big, wot!" Deyna wasn't quite sure how to deal with her, even if he was convinced she was a friend.

There was a massive crowd of Redwallers waiting on the lawn as the gates closed behind them. Mhera was standing out front, paws on her hips, waiting. She didn't seem nervous, but merely confused and a little concerned.

"Mother Abbess, this is Rosie Montarue." Deyna introduced. He saw understanding leap to her eyes immediately.

"Oh, well then, welcome Rosie, to Redwall Abbey." Mhera said.

"Ooooh, this is Redwall Abbey?" Rosie asked excitedly. "My old Da used to tell stories of this place, and the vittles, wot!"

"Mother Abbess, I must protest." Sister Alkanet said. "A fox in Redwall Abbey?"

"If I remember correctly in the time of Mariel there was a rat named Blaggut that was considered a friend of Redwall." Brother Hoben said. "So it's not that out of place for an unusual beast to reside at Redwall."

"In addition, Rosie has already bravely defended our Dibbuns against vermin." Mhera reminded Sister Alkanet. "Redwall is open to all creatures, so long as they mean no harm."

"Of course not marm, I'd never hurt such gentlebeasts as yourselves, my da raised me better than that." Rosie said proudly.

"Who was your da, exactly?" Filorn asked, more curious than anything. The Dibbuns peeked out from behind her, goggling at the sight of the vixen among them.

"Burbank Montarue." Rosie replied. "A hare." She added.

"I say, not One-two Montarue?" Boorab asked. "He was a boxing hare, training for the Long Patrol, only he found it wasn't to his liking, became a farmer, didn't he?"

"That's right." Rosie said. "He and his wife had my brother, but she caught fever and died."

"And where do you come into all of this?" Mhera asked.

"It's a bit of a long tale, wot." Rosie replied. "Especially if you want to know why those blinking vermin were chasing me, eh? Well, if I'm going to do any storytelling, I'd rather be clean, and I'm sure you don't want the dreadful pong of those vermin in your home, and I'd like to get that awful stink off me, wot!"

"And I'm sure you'll want feeding too." Mhera added.

"Of course, can't tell tales on an empty stomach dontcha know." Rose grinned. "And those vermin don't know anything about real food. Burnt fish, burnt bird, who in their right mind would eat a crow anyways, squashed everything, didn't eat barely anything in the last few days, I'm fair famished, I am."

"Well then, a bath, something to eat, and then you can tell us how you came to be here." Mhera said. "I'm sure if anyone feels unsafe, you will not object to an escort."

"Of course not, wot!" Rosie. "My da always told me goodbeasts would be scared of me, but he also said not to hold it against them."

"He sounds like a wise creature." Mhera said. Rosie's ears drooped again.

"He was marm, he was."


	3. Chapter 3

Star: I own nothing!

Rosie sighed as she soaked herself in the tub. That was the stuff, a lovely bit of hot water and some bubbles and she felt almost like herself again. Of course that reminded her of things that had changed for her and she put her paws on her face and sobbed. Her da was dead, she didn't know where her brother was and she was alone among creatures who may or may not kick her out as soon as they could.

She shook her head, scattering drops of water. She was a Montarue, a hare maybe not by birth but by her upraising and by family. She would survive, she would find her brother and she would kick in the stomach of the villains who killed her father and stole her from her home.

She scrubbed herself clean, washing any trace of the stench of vermin off her and got out of the tub, drying her fur and putting on the frock they'd left for her. She smoothed down the frock and her head fur. She licked her lips once and swallowed hard. For all her friendliness earlier she knew that she was on thin ice here.

"Nothing for it then, wot." She told herself. She'd picked up Savy's habit of talking to herself when she was alone.

"Are you done in there, foxey?" A voice asked from outside. It didn't sound very friendly to her. She opened the door and peered out, having to look down to see the scowling mouse in front of her.

"Yes, I am done, sah. I say, what was your name again, chap?" She asked.

"Nimbalo the Slayer, and don't you forget it." The hard-eyed mouse said.

"Don't expect I will, wot." Rosie replied. "Now I believe there was talk about some tuck before I told my tale?"

"Follow me." Nimbalo the Slayer said gruffly, turning and swiftly walking away. She had to scamper to catch up and made a point to walk a short distance away from the obviously unfriendly mouse. He led her down into the Great Hall, where there was, to her eyes at least, a massive feast laid out.

"Great seasons!" She murmured. "There's more in here than I could eat in a blinking month!"

"That's because it's not all for you." Nimbalo replied icily. "So don't you get greedy."

"Perish the thought, though I am a hare, doncha know, we're champion scoffers, wot!" Rosie said eagerly, taking a place close to the big otter who had welcomed her in the first place, Deyna. She was being stared at by every creature in Redwall.

"Welcome all friends to our table and give thanks to all those who prepared this meal and harvested the food and grew the food." Abbess Mhera said. Everyone murmured their thanks and began eating. Rosie tried not to gulp down everything in sight, but it was difficult when she hadn't had a decent meal in days and everything just smelled so good…

When she looked up there wasn't the horrified expressions she'd expected, but a kind of mute fascination. "Well, the ole gel certainly has the appetite of a hare, wot!" Boorab commented, making himself laugh.

"Hurr, th'foxybeast be's very hungry." A mole Dibbun commented.

"Never travel with vermin, my good sah, they have absolutely no taste for decent food, wot!" Rosie told him seriously.

"Alright, now that we've all had a good meal, I think it is time for our guest to tell her tale." Abbess Mhera said.

"Righto, now where to start?" Rosie shrugged. "Well, I guess that would be the blinking beginning, wot!" She chortled slightly. "So when my brother Savy was a few seasons old, not long after his ma passed away, my da was looking for water cress along the stream not far from home when he heard it."

She paused to take a swig of strawberry cordial. "Found what?" A young mouse asked.

"Me, what else, eh?" Rosie said. "It wasn't just me, what my da found first was a dead vixen, lying on her stomach with an arrow through her."

"Your mother, I'm guessing." Deyna suggested.

"That's the most likely answer, wot." Rosie replied. "Now then, my old da was just going to bury the body, nice and neat-like, keep it from fouling up the river, but as he was trying to move it he heard a little whimper, and in his words he 'jumped near high enough to touch the top of the bally trees.'" She took another sip of her cordial. "That was me, trapped under my mother. Da said he took one look at me and knew he couldn't do a bally thing but take me home."

"Just like that?" Nimbalo demanded. "Not even a care for what you are?"

"I was just a babe then, couldn't even talk, let alone do anything to a full-grown hare, much less a champion hare-boxer." Rosie sniffed. "He wasn't about to just leave a helpless babe to die alone, wot!"

"I doubt any of us would, no matter their kind." Abbess Mhera said sternly.

"Thankee marm, that's nice to know." Rosie said genuinely. "So my da took me back home with him, and raised me with Savy. I was a season or two younger than him and that rip never bloody well let's me forget it, thank you very much, wot!" She smiled fondly. "He never treated me any different, my da, just loved me the same as Savy."

"How did he explain the fact that you looked different?" Filorn asked.

"When I was old enough to ask, he told me himself that I was a fox. He'd always taught us to be cautious of strangers, because some could be nice and some not. He didn't make any distinctions until I was old enough to understand the fact that he wasn't being nasty about me, you know?" Rosie said. "Savy never saw me as anything but a sister, either." She sighed softly. "He used to tease me, pulling on my blinking ears to try and make them the 'proper' length, wot. I'd retaliate by trying to make his tail longer. All in good fun though, eh? We still would do it sometimes, just to cheer the other up."

"What did your brother think of growing up with a fox?" Deyna asked.

"Well, you see, like I said, da treated us the same, and the only real difference between us was my natural good looks." She joked. "Da explained it to him, when he was old enough to jolly well understand, same as me, wot."

"And he did teach you two to watch out for vermin, did he?" Hoarg asked curiously.

"You mean in spite of me being a fox, eh?' Rosie nodded her head. "It helps that I've always jolly well thought of myself as a hare, even though I'm a bally fox, wot. Da just taught us that most of the time the nasty beasts were what you lot like to call vermin, but that not all were in fact vermin, and that was how he said it."

"And he taught you how to box like a proper hare too, those were some jolly good moves, me gel." Boorab complimented.

"Thank you sah, a perilous hare through and through I am, wot!" Rosie pounded her chest. "Now then, moving on, shall we? So yes, raised by a hare, hare in everything but fur, tail and blooming ears and I've been happy, just me, da and Savy. Da was talking about seeing jolly old Salamandastron soon, we were ever so excited, but of course, it won't happen now."

"What happened, dear?" The Abbess asked gently. Rosie was silent for a long moment and felt a tear wet her cheek fur.

"We were out in the field, weeding, checking the crops, you know." She started, trying to not let her voice shake. "Savy was collecting firewood, probably got himself lost again, the blooming fool." She sighed deeply. "It was getting dark, great flipping storm clouds hanging over us. And all the sudden we were just overrun by vermin. They came out of nowhere, surrounding us, and then my da… my da was on the ground and he wasn't moving and I couldn't get to him because they had a hold of me and I was screaming but he wasn't getting up and I couldn't get to him and I don't know if he was still alive or if he was dead and I couldn't help him!"

She put her head in her paws and burst into noisy tears. The sound of her sobs was the only thing that could be heard in the Great Hall. And then there was a paw on her shoulder, patting gently. Rosie jerked at first and then leaned into the touch, feeling like a cub again, wanting someone to take the nightmares away. Except this time, the nightmares were very real. When the tears finally stopped she looked up to see the Mother Abbess looking down on her with concern.

"Sorry, marm." She whispered.

"You've lost your home and your family, you are allowed to grieve." Abbess Mhera replied, handing her a handkerchief.

"Been too blooming busy to be grieving, suppose it had to catch up to me sometime, eh?" Rosie said morosely, wiping her face clean. She offered the handkerchief back and it was a credit to the character of the Abbess that she took it back without a fuss.

"Now tell us, who took you?" Abbess Mhera asked gently.

"Band of sea pirates marm, apparently tired of making trouble on the sea and bound to make trouble on the land. There's a good number of them, must have been a few ships worth of vermin." Rosie answered. "They were led by a fox, goes by the name of Bludred, what an awful name, eh? Figure that's why they took me, wot."

"Thurr foxybeast thinked 'e were rescuing you." An elderly mole guessed.

"I'd wager." Rosie agreed. "He was proven wrong when I kicked him in the tail when I was brought to him, oh he did not like that, no sah." Rosie managed to laugh. "Finally managed to get away from them today and you know the rest."

"And now they'll be pounding on the Abbey doors because of you." Nimbalo growled.

"Now you know it wouldn't be the first time this Abbey has had to defend itself." Abbess Mhera replied. "And we will not turn out any beast simply to appease them."

"All the same marm, it might be best for you all if I just leave, eh?" Rosie said seriously.

"Tell me, did your da ever tell you and your brother what you should do if you found yourself running from home?" Abbess Mhera asked.

"Oh of course marm, da was bally smart like that. He told us either to go to Salamandastron or to Redwall." Rosie answered.

"You think your brother's still alive?" The Abbess asked.

"He's a bloomin' fast runner when he puts his mind to it, unless they took him by surprise… yes, I think he's alive, he's got to be." Rosie said firmly.

"Then he will either go to Salamandastron or come here, looking for you. So don't you think it's best if you stayed in one place?" Abbess Mhera asked. "Redwall has never given into the demands of vermin, and we're not about to start now, even over a vixen like yourself."

"Thank you marm." Rosie said. "I only hope my brother is fairing just as well as I am."


	4. Chapter 4

Star: I own nothing!

"GAAAAAHHHHHHH!" Savy screamed, leaping over yet another toad bearing a trident. "FLIPPINGBLINKINGWARTYULGYTOADS!"

He'd obviously taken a wrong turn somewhere and wandered into a blinking swamp. There were toads everywhere, and they looked like they were out for hare flesh! He cursed his sense of direction as he dodged another pair of toads.

"Haha, can't catch me, you rotters!" He laughed. And then of course, because fate hated him so, he slipped, and he fell. Instantly he had toads all over him, their slimy flesh making him shudder. Ropes were tied around his middle, pinning his arms to his sides and as hard as he fought he couldn't free himself. It was all over for him and he'd failed, he wouldn't get to rescue his sister at all.

Suddenly, a roar cut through the croaking and slapping of the toads, making them all freeze. A tall hooded figure stepped forwards, the toads shying away from its path. The figure pulled down his hood, revealing a wildcat with large tufted ears and brilliant yellow eyes. The cat growled at the toads, baring sharp teeth at them.

"Mine!" He snarled. "My prey." The toads began croaking nervously as he stalked forward, growling continuously. "Go, or I will make you my prey!" He roared, lunging forwards. The toads scattered, croaking in alarm. In moments there were none left in sight and Savy was left tied up in front of an apparently hungry wildcat.

"Oh please just make it quick." Savy moaned, closing his eyes tightly. He heard a soft chuckle and looked up.

"I'm not in the business of eating things that talk back to me." The wildcat said in a deep, even voice. He knelt in front of Savy, pulling out a knife. "It does limit my consumption of meat, but fish is really quite tasty and it's not as though there aren't far more foods than meat out there for me to eat."

"I know exactly what you're talking about, my good chap." Savy said, wiggling his ears.

"Of course you do, you're a hare." The wildcat chortled. He stood up as he cut the last rope from Savy and held out a paw. "I am Xavier Shorttail."

"Savyon Montarue, at your service, wot. You can call me Savy." Savy said, taking Xavier's paw and letting the bigger beast haul him to his feet. "Shorttail?" Xavier turned, revealing the tail that was only a little longer than Savy's own bob.

"Come, it won't be too long until those slimy toads realize I don't mean to eat you." Xavier said.

"I bally well agree with that, wot." Savy said. "Er, do you know the blinking way out of here?"

"Yes." Xavier said calmly, beginning to move through the swamp. "Just follow where I lead, okay."

"No problem, chap." Savy said.

"So what are you doing out here, dodging toads?" Xavier asked.

"It's a bit of a story, wot." Savy said.

"Don't have anything else to do out here." Xavier shrugged.

"A few days ago vermin murdered my da and kidnapped my sister." Savy said. "I've been trying to track them to get her back, only I think I've gotten myself flipping turned around."

"I'd wager you're right. Saw a host of vermin, a few days back, making their way through Mossflower wood."

"Oh, and where am I?" Savy asked.

"Not Mossflower, that's for sure." Xavier said. Savy's ears drooped. "You're closer to Salamandastron."

"I'll never find them now." Savy lamented.

"I don't know about that, great big band of vermin in Mossflower, I reckon they'd be fairly easy to find." Xavier replied.

"Hold on, isn't jolly old Redwall Abbey in Mossflower?" Savy asked.

"I… believe so. I've only ever heard stories of the place though." Xavier replied. "You don't think the vermin are headed there, do you?"

"I'll bet my flipping dinner on it. Nice big place, lots of woodland beasts for slaves if they want it, easily defended and somehow the blinking vermin always get it into their tiny skulls that there's treasure there." Savy said. He pulled on his ears. "There's an army of vermin marching on Redwall right as we speak. Somebody needs to flipping do something about it."

"Someone like you?" Xavier queried. "One hare against a horde, doesn't seem very wise."

"No, but a horde of vermin against an army of the bally Long Patrol, that's a lot more even, wot!" Savy said, his mind churning with the idea. "You said we were close to Salamandastron, eh?"

"Yes, a couple days march, once we get out of this swamp." Xavier replied cautiously.

"Well then, we march up to jolly old Salamandastron, tell them there's a horde of vermin marching on Redwall and get the bally Long Patrol to accompany us back to Mossflower and save my sister and the abbey." Savy said decisively.

"Savy, I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm not exactly the type of beast that most goodbeasts consider a friend." Xavier pointed out. "In fact I'm surprised you have trusted me so quickly."

"You rescued me from those blinking toads and didn't eat me, I'd say that's a good basis for a friendship, wot!" Savy replied. "Also, I have… experience with trusting beasts that normally hares wouldn't trust."

"What do you mean?" Xavier asked.

"Well…" He couldn't really back out now, could he? And Xavier understood what it was like being a beast that was normally feared. "Mysisterisafox." He blurted out.

"Beg pardon?" Xavier said, blinking slowly.

"My sister is a fox." Savy said, a little slower.

"How does that work?" Xavier asked.

"My da found her as a babe and raised her as his own, that's bally how." Savy replied.

"In all my wanderings, I've never heard of such a thing." Xavier commented. "It's obvious you care for her a great deal though."

"Of course, she's my blinking sister, even if her tail's too long and her ears are too short." Savy shrugged. "It's the way it's always been, it's never seemed strange to me."

"I imagine it won't work in her favour now though, being held in a mob of vermin." Xavier commented. "It would be all too easy for some of the woodlanders to mistake her and kill her along with the rest."

"Don't tell me that!" Savy snapped.

"I'm just stating the facts." Xavier shrugged. "It might just be the vermin get tired of her resisting them and just kill her."

"Oh that makes me feel loads better." Savy said sarcastically.

"Of course she could just wind up joining them." Xavier commented bluntly. Savy felt hot fury surge through him and he stopped, poking his paw in Xavier's chest.

"Listen you. Rosie might be a fox, but she's my sister." He yelled. "She's a hare through and through, and a Montarue to boot and no blinking Montarue would ever make an ally of vermin. Rosie is good, she is not evil, and if you say anything like that again I will bally well kick you!"

Xavier looked contrite. "I'm sorry, I say things without thinking." He said. "My mum always told me I was far too pessimistic."

"Well, keep that pessimism to yourself, wot. I don't need to hear about what could flipping go wrong, I've probably thought about everything myself." Savy said, waving his hands about.

"I will do my best." Xavier said. "We should move a bit quicker, those toads looked really hungry."

"Oh you just had to go and say that, didn't you?" Savy said, quickening his pace to almost a jog.

"That one wasn't being pessimistic, it was being realistic." Xavier retorted. "Now come on, the beach shouldn't be too far. I think I smell saltwater."

"Well, your nose is bally well better than mine then." Savy said, bouncing on his heels. "I'll race you!" He said and then took off. It wasn't long until he heard Xavier call after him.

"You're going the wrong way!"


	5. Chapter 5

Star: I own nothing!

"It is bally hot out here." Savy complained as soon as they'd stepped out of the forest and onto a series of gently rising dunes.

"It's not even midday yet." Xavier replied. "And it's not summer." Savy gave him a jaundiced look.

"If I want to complain I'm going to bally well complain." He said.

"I'm not saying you can't, I'm only pointing out that it can be worse." Xavier shrugged. He lifted a paw to shade his eyes against the sun and stared in all directions. "There's Salamandastron." He said, pointing to a rock that rose above the sand. "Looks like we're about two days away from it."

"That far? How blinking big is that rock?" Savy demanded.

"I couldn't say, I've never actually seen it up close." Xavier said. He looked a little concerned. "Perhaps this is where our journey together should end."

"Why? How am I supposed to get to that rock without you?" Savy squeaked.

"You can see it." Xavier pointed out.

"You obviously don't understand how blinking bad my sense of direction is." Savy retorted, paws on his hips. "I'd get lost outside my own bally home!"

"Look, I'm not exactly the type of beast that hares normally associate with, you do realize that, right?" Xavier asked.

"Of course, doesn't matter to me, wot!" Savy replied.

"Yes, but the hares from Salamandastron aren't going to see it that way." Xavier said, exasperated. "And you know what they say about you hares, you're perilous beasts."

"Of course we are." Savy said, puffing out his skinny chest. "Don't worry old chap, I won't let anyone try and blinking off you."

"That's very reassuring." Xavier deadpanned.

"Hmph, well if you're going to be so flipping negative then I won't help make dinner." Savy sniffed.

"Can you actually cook?" Xavier asked with some amusement.

"Of course I can bally well cook, wouldn't be much of a hare if I couldn't, doncha know." Savy said.

"Well, I can't, so I think I'll keep my negative mouth shut then." Xavier said with a smile.

"Good." Savy said. "Shall we press on then?"

"We shall." Xavier agreed. "I am warning you though, those hares aren't going to be happy about me."

"Well, they can stuff it." Savy replied, beginning to walk again. "You haven't done anything to them, so no reason to be nasty to you, wot!"

"The hares aren't the biggest problem, what about the badger lord?" Xavier asked, keeping in step with him. "Don't they have that Bloodwrath thing?"

"Shows what you know about our current lord of Salamandastron. Russano the Wise, a scholar before a fighter, wot." Savy replied. "He'll hear us out at the very least."

"And then kick me out." Xavier said.

"Oi, I said enough with the blinking negativity." Savy said, whacking Xavier on the arm. It barely made the larger wildcat flinch. Xavier chuckled slightly.

"Stuck with a pessimistic wildcat." Savy lamented. "I hope my sister's having a better time than I am."

%&%&%&%

Despite the Abbess herself vouching for Rosie, she still felt completely out of place. Of course, being a fox didn't help matters, but she couldn't help that. Conversely the Redwallers couldn't help but be wary of her, so she tried not to hold it against them. It was hard not to feel resentful though and she did have something of a spitfire temper, so she did her best to stay out of anyone's way who looked like they might give her a hard time.

She found herself wandering out onto the Abbey lawn and sitting herself down underneath an old ash tree. She sighed, watching the Dibbuns run around with Mhera's mum and the pretty squirrelmaid Fwirl chasing after them. She missed her brother dearly in that moment, remembering the way they used to wrestle with each other and chase each other until their da yelled at them for squishing the tomatoes. She closed her eyes and leaned back against the tree, trying to hold back a wave of tears.

She opened her eyes when she felt a timid tap on her footpaw. She looked down to find a round little mole Dibbun looking up at her with dark, curious brown eyes. "Is you'm toired foxybeast?"

"Mayhaps I am, my little chappie." Rosie replied cheerfully. She didn't know how to deal with little ones and sort of hoped this one would just go away. But the little molebabe stared at her a moment longer and then clambered into her lap, wagging his digging claw in her face sternly.

"You'm should be'd abed then, go furr nap." He said. Rosie chuckled.

"But it's such a bally day out, wot. Will you really send me inside, Mr. Mole?" She teased.

"Moi name be'd Boru." The little mole said.

"And I am Rosie, nice to meet you, Boru." Rosie replied.

"'Ow come you'm be'd a foxybeast, but you'm be'd nioce, Miz Rosie?" Boru asked.

"I was raised to be a nicebeast." Rosie replied. "Just like you." She tweaked his nose.

"Burrhurr." Boru laughed. "Deyna, he were raised by vermin, but he be nioce."

"Well, I guess it depends." Rosie shrugged.

"On what?"

"I don't know." Rosie replied honestly. Boru was silent for a moment.

"Oi'm not afeared of 'ee." He said finally. Rosie smiled, keeping her mouth carefully closed.

"And I'm not afraid of you." She replied.

"Burrhurr, that be'd funny, bigbeast loike 'ee bein' afeared o' a likklebeast loike me." Boru laughed.

"What, you're not a fearsome warrior, had me bally well fooled, my good chap." Rosie said, tickling Boru.

"Oi'm gooin' t'be a great foighter." Boru said.

"I bet you blinking will be." Rosie said.

"You'm be'd a good foighter, oi saw 'ee foightin' those narstybeasts." Boru said. "You'm be'd a harebeast, unner all that fur."

Rosie's da had a lot of sayings that made absolutely no sense to her whatsoever, but she found herself understanding one now. 'From out of the mouths of babes come utterances to put to shame the wisest of beasts'. He said that a lot when she and Savy were little, and she'd always thought he was making fun of them, but now she understood.

Of course other creatures did not feel as dear little Boru did, as evidenced by the sight of Sister Alkanet storming towards the two of them. "Boru, come away." The severe little mouse snapped.

"But oi'm talkin' with miz Rosie." Boru said, pouting.

"Well you can go play with your friends now." Sister Alkanet replied, her icy stare fixed on Rosie.

"Go on then," Rosie said, thinking it was better not to make enemies while she was here. "I'm sure your friends are more interesting than silly old me."

"Burrhurr, you'm be's a funnybeast." Boru laughed, hugging her clumsily and then getting up and toddling away.

"You would do well to stay away from the little ones." Sister Alkanet informed her frostily.

"He bally well came to me." Rosie retorted. "I can't do any flipping thing about that."

"You are not welcome here, fox." Sister Alkanet hissed.

"I don't think you speak for everyone here, Boru bally well likes me, and your Abbess has vouched for me." Rosie replied hotly. "And I'm only a fox by my fur. I am a hare through and through."

"You really expect us to believe that load of nonsense?" The infirmary keeper demanded.

"Believe what you flipping will, it's still the truth." Rosie said. She stood up and brushed off her frock. "Good day to you Sister." She said, stalking off before she could completely lose her temper. Of course she understood these creatures' caution and worry, but did she have to be so rude? "If only you were here Savy, that would make things so much easier."


	6. Chapter 6

Star: I own nothing!

Deyna watched the foxmaid stomp away from Sister Alkanet and slipped out of his shaded corner by the wall to follow her. He trusted Martin's vision, but there was always that part of him that would be uneasy around a creature like her, as unfair as that might be to her. In any case she seemed pretty upset and he wanted to be sure she wouldn't do anything foolish.

He followed her into the Great Hall where she paced for a few moments before stopping, her eyes drawn to the great tapestry on the wall. She slowly walked up to it, standing only a few feet away, staring Martin in the eyes. She lifted a paw and then retracted it again, clasping her paws behind her back.

"You look like a fine chap." She said, her voice soft. "You'd be Martin then, the original bally champion of Redwall. My da told me stories about you." She was quiet for a moment. "Don't suppose you'd be champion for the likes of me, wot. Martin the warrior, defending a blinking fox, that's a laugh."

"Martin defended all goodbeasts." Deyna said, walking out to where she was standing. Rosie looked at him, rubbing at her eyes with a paw. "It might have taken time, but I think he would have defended you too, not that I think you'd need defending."

"You'd be right about that, wot!" Rosie chuckled slightly, but then her face grew sad again. "I've never really thought about how different I was before, you know? My da and Savy never treated me any different and so I never felt different, but here I feel so blinking different."

"You have to understand that when we see creatures like you, they're usually attacking us." Deyna said gently.

"I know." Rosie sniffed. "And I am trying so hard not to hold it against you lot, but I just feel so flipping lonely."

"I saw what happened with Sister Alkanet." Deyna smiled. "If it's any consolation she wasn't really happy about me being here at first either." That got a weak laugh from Rosie.

"You don't seem to mind me." Rosie said, looking at him questioningly.

"Martin helped me find my home here, I'm inclined to trust his judgement. And in any case, you were risking your own fur out there fighting off those vermin, without a weapon, no less." Deyna explained.

"These are the only weapons I need, wot." Rosie said, aiming a couple of playful jabs at Deyna. Deyna blocked them easily, smiling.

"Another way to see if a beast is friendly or not is to see how they react to Martin." Deyna said, waving his paw at the tapestry.

"What's Martin got to bally well do with it?" Rosie asked.

"In the past vermin have either gotten inside Redwall, or taken the tapestry, because they knew it was important." Deyna explained. "The stories you here are of vermin afraid to look at Martin's picture because he would stare back, looking like he was going to come alive and kill them. Tell me, what do you feel when you look upon Martin the Warrior?"

Rosie looked back at Martin, considering him for a long moment and then looked back at Deyna. "He does seem to look right blooming through me, I'll give you that, but he doesn't make me feel scared. I feel like he's smiling at me, and it makes me feel jolly well safe for some odd reason. It's nice though, being able to feel like that again."

"If you'd have been bad I doubt you'd feel quite as comfortable here." Deyna said. "There's another reason I'm not afraid of you."

"Very spiritual place, isn't this Abbey, wot!" Rosie said. Deyna shrugged. "I just can't help but feel as soon as those flipping vermin come back looking for trouble I'm going to be out on my tail."

"I doubt Mhera would allow such a thing." Deyna replied.

"Not to insult your Abbess, she's quite the gel, but one otter against a crowd of frightened woodlanders…" Rosie didn't finish her sentence, she didn't need to.

"It wouldn't be just Mhera." Deyna replied. "Not everyone is scared of you."

"Just most of them." Rosie replied sulkily.

"To be fair-"

"I know, I know." Rosie replied impatiently, waving her paw. "I just hate feeling different."

"I'm afraid I don't know how to help you with that." Deyna admitted.

"You could escort me to the kitchen." Rosie said, giving him a sidelong glance and then pouted. "I am quite peckish, but I do not think the chefs will respond favourably to me, doncha know?"

"There's also the fact that you're a hare." Deyna pointed out. Rosie grinned at him.

"Well, at least someone here bally well gets it." She said.

"Boru seemed alright with you." Deyna pointed out.

"Little uns see the world simply, my da always said. It's when they get grown up that things become bally well complicated." Rosie replied. "Kitchens?" She asked again, widening her bright green eyes pleadingly.

"Always with the food with you hares." Deyna said, rolling his eyes. "Come on then." He walked towards the kitchen, Rosie padding along beside him eagerly. Boorab was getting booted out of the kitchen as they walked up.

"Can't a chap even get a blinking snack around here?" The hare demanded, rubbing ruefully at his tail.

"Boorab, for you, a small snack is a meal in itself." Deyna reminded the gluttonous hare with a roll of his eyes.

"I only suggested that someone needed to try the strawberry rhubarb pie." Boorab sniffed.

"Is that what I smell?" Rosie asked. "That's abso-flippin-lutely lovely."

"It's also for dinner." Deyna's mother, Filorn said sternly from the kitchen doorway. "So neither of you two hares will get a taste of it before then."

"Yes, marm." Rosie said meekly. "Although a little snack for a hungry hare, wot? I've missed quite a few meals traveling with those flipping vermin, I think I can start to feel my ribs."

"Well, we can't have that, can we?" Filorn replied drily. "Come, let's see if we can't find a little something for you. You, Mr. Boorab can stay out of the kitchen or I will whack that tail of yours again."

"Bloodthirsty riverdog, I can see where Deyna gets his warrior spirit from, wot wot!" Boorab said as they walked past.

"I'll try and sneak you out something, wot." Rosie whispered as they went past.

"Ah, a gel after my own heart." Boorab said dramatically.

"You shouldn't encourage him." Filorn admonished gently when they were in the kitchen. Rosie shrugged.

"He reminds me of my brother, though his sense of direction's probably better." She replied. "Anyways, doesn't hurt to make a couple of friends around here, wot."

"Hm. Let's see, we have some strawberry scones left over from breakfast." Filorn said. "You can have a few of those, not all of them mind you, there may be other hungry beasts wandering through before dinnertime."

"She understands hares too bally well." Rosie whispered.

"I have had extensive dealings with one Mr. Boorab." Filorn said. "And you are not as quiet as you think you are, missy."

"Savy always said I talked too blinking loud, I'd just talk even louder when he said that." Rosie said with a grin. "Thank you marm." She added politely, taking the few scones Filorn allowed her. She immediately slipped one in her pocket, despite Filorn's reproving look. "Us hares have to stick together, marm." She said, unapologetic.

"If I find either of you raiding the kitchen it'll be a good whacking for you both and sent up to Sister Alkanet." Filorn warned.

"I'm sure the fussybeast will be thrilled about that." Rosie muttered darkly.

"Sister Alkanet can come on a little strong." Filorn said evenly.

"That's like saying the ocean is a little damp, marm." Rosie replied, reaching out for another scone.

"Away with you." Filorn said sternly. "Don't think I didn't see you pocket those three scones either."

"Who, me?" Rosie said, widening her eyes and trying to look innocent. "Perish the bally thought." Rosie practically skipped out of the kitchens, her mood obviously lifted. "I like your mum." She declared to Deyna. "She knows what's what."


	7. Chapter 7

Star: To Thomas the Traveler, since I cannot send a private message. It is my understanding that Sister Alkanet did not become Cellar master for several years, as the epilogue was written by Fwirl and Broggle's daughter, who was not even born when the story was taking place. That is my understanding anyways, correct me if I am wrong. This story I only set a few years after the actual events of the Taggerung. I own nothing!

"How blinking big is this mountain?" Savy demanded, panting in the hot sun. "It keeps getting bigger and bigger, but we're no bally closer to it!"

"We're getting close, I think." Xavier replied. "And I thought I was the pessimistic one." Savy gave him a jaundiced look.

"Don't get bally cute with me you oversized lump of fur." He huffed. "Can we stop for some scoff?"

"It would be nice to get out of the heat for a bit, there's a big rock right ahead of us that we can find shade under." Xavier.

"Good, race you there!" Savy called, taking off before Xavier could reply. He got to the rock and then had to wait because Xavier refused to run. "It's about flipping time." He snapped when Xavier finally walked up. "Could you walk any bally slower?"

"Is that a challenge?" Xavier asked mildly. Savy glared at him and Xavier smiled. "Alright, alright, we still have some of those berry cakes we made left and some acorns and mushrooms, the mushrooms are a bit squashed though."

"Doesn't make them any less tasty, wot!" Savy replied, reaching for the food. There was a stick of driftwood nearby and he started drawing in the sand with it as he munched away. He drew himself, Rosie and his da, all smiling and happy.

"What are you doing?" Xavier asked after a little while.

"Drawing, what do you think?" Savy answered. "What do you think?" Xavier squinted at the markings in the sand and then stood up, tilting his head at them.

"Very nice." He finally said, sitting back down.

"What was that for? Standing up like that?" Savy asked. Xavier began to fidget a little bit. "What's the matter, chappie?"

"I… I can't see things that are very close to me clearly." Xavier answered slowly.

"You mean you can't bally well see properly? I thought wildcats were supposed to have super-sight or something, wot!" Savy laughed. "Bit ironic, isn't it?"

"Yes, it's a laugh." Xavier said bitterly. "Go on, make fun of it, everyone else does." Savy stopped laughing and his ears drooped.

"I say chap, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you. You have to admit it's not what you expect. I won't make fun of you." He said. Xavier gave him a doubtful look. "I'm not one to talk about some other beasts blinking shortcomings when I can't tell which direction is up most of the time." That at least got a little smile out of Xavier.

"I was always a bit of an odd one with our clan. Most were warriors and I… I just liked to wander." Xavier explained. "Of course being different meant that I was constantly under attack."

"Well that's just not bloody fair." Savy growled.

"The world isn't fair." Xavier said bleakly. "Doesn't take a genius to figure that out."

"Hey, no more pessimism, wot!" Savy said. "Nothing bad's happened so far to us."

"And you've probably just jinxed the whole thing." Xavier groaned.

"Tut, tut, none of that my good chap. Come on, stretch those legs, maybe we'll actually get somewhere by the end of the day, wot!" Savy said energetically. He stood up, dusting his legs off, the sand seemed to get everywhere on him and dragged Xavier to his feet. They skirted around the rock and came face to face with a pair of startled looking hares.

"I told you." Xavier moaned, placing a paw over his eyes. The new hares recovered from their surprise and brandished their javelins at Xavier.

"Come away, we'll keep him occupied, wot!" The smaller of the two hares said. "You're free now from this blinking bounder."

"This blinking bounder is my friend." Savy replied, paws on his hips. "Do I look like I'm bally well his prisoner?" The hares blinked at him owlishly. "Put those away before you hurt somebeast." Savy snapped, whacking one of the javelins away from Xavier.

"You're friends, with a flipping wildcat?" The bigger hare asked. "I've never heard of such a blooming thing."

"Well, you have now." Savy huffed. "Anyways, I guess it's good you're here, seeing as we are trying to get to jolly old Salamandastron, with news for your blinking Badger Lord."

"I don't know if we should…" The smaller hare said, eying Xavier nervously.

"One cat against a mountain full of fighting hares and a fully grown badger. I really think you're flipping worrying about nothing." Savy said, rolling his eyes in exasperation. "And besides, you two have blinking weapons and we don't."

"We should probably take them anyways." The bigger hare said. "Lord Russano would want to know about them."

"Finally, somebeast is talking some blinking sense." Savy said dramatically. "Come on then, hop to it, we don't have all bally day, wot wot." The bigger of the two hares scowled at him.

"Hortense, get behind them, keep your weapon on that wildcat and blinking gut him if he makes a wrong move." He ordered.

"Okay, Jarus." The smaller hare, Hortense, replied. "Don't even flipping think about trying anything." He growled at Xavier, who gave Savy a look of forced patience and irritation.

"Look on the bright side, my good chap." Savy said.

"What bright side?" Xavier grumbled.

"Well, they didn't just attack us on sight, wot!" Savy replied. Xavier just shook his head again and they marched in silence towards the mountain. It was nearing dark when they finally were ushered into the tunnels through the mountain. There were more hares than Savy thought possible running around inside.

Every hare they encountered would stop and stare at Xavier, some curious, some wary and some downright hostile. Xavier, apparently worried, tried to make himself look as small as possible and hide behind Savy. It didn't work very well, and looked rather comical and pathetic.

"Steady on, old chap, nothing to fear." Savy said, patting Xavier's arm.

"Easy for you to say." Xavier muttered. "I'll be lucky if I get out of this place alive."

"Stop it, the badger lord's not going to slay you on sight you daft beast." Savy admonished. "I won't let them anyhow."

"That makes me feel so much better." Xavier said, rolling his eyes. They were led through tunnels that twisted and turned so much that Savy was immediately lost, which, honestly, was not a huge feat. Jarus halted in front of a large wooden door and knocked.

"Enter." A deep, even voice said from within. Savy felt Xavier stiffen and grabbed Xavier's paw. They walked inside and found themselves in what appeared to be an office with a truly massive male badger sitting at a desk, writing calmly in a notebook.

"Corkers, I didn't realize badgers were so blinking big!" Savy yelped before he could stop himself. Lord Russano the Wise looked up then, bright brown eyes twinkling with merriment.

"I would have been smaller if I could have managed it." He said with amusement.

"Er, sorry my Lord, don't always think before I speak, doncha know?" Savy said, ears flicking with embarrassment.

"A common condition amongst youngbeasts." Lord Russano replied. "Now then, why have I been disturbed?"

"Found these two wandering the beach, sah." Jarus replied. "The hare said the wildcat's his friend, but I don't flipping believe him."

"And why not?" Lord Russano asked. Jarus blinked, clearly not expecting that question.

"Because he's a blinking wildcat, sah!" He replied.

"Has he done any harm to anybeast that you've seen?"

"Well, no, but-"

"And the two of them seem easy enough with one another to hold each other's paws, but let us here it from them. Well my goodbeasts, what is your tale?" Lord Russano asked, turning to Savy and Xavier.

"Well you see my lord, a bunch of blooming vermin attacked my home, killed my da and kidnapped my sister. I was going after them but I got myself flipping lost and nearly eaten by blinking toads, but thankfully Xavier showed up to save me and has nicely accompanied me here because otherwise I'd get flipping lost again and we wanted to warn you that there's a horde of vermin marching into Mossflower and we think they're headed for Redwall Abbey." Savy gasped in a huge breath. Lord Russano nodded his head.

"We spotted a number of ships heading the direction of the River Moss not long ago." He said. "I wager they would be the same vermin that are headed for Redwall. Janus, Hortense, fetch me Colonel Windsward, we're going on a march."


	8. Chapter 8

Star: I own nothing!

Xavier kept staring at Savy as the hare sampled everything at the table in front of him. Finally Savy looked over at him, cheeks bulging and scowled.

"Is there something on my blinking face?" He demanded.

"When are you going to tell them?" Xavier asked.

"About what?" Savy asked, trying to look innocent.

"Your sister." Xavier said, trying to remain patient.

"Well, I mean that's on a need to know basis, doncha think?" Savy said, fiddling with his spoon.

"Savy, if these hares, and Lord Russano don't know about your sister, and she's still trapped with the vermin horde than she's likely to get killed just because she looks like any other vermin." Xavier informed him. "And that's not being pessimistic, that's the facts. You see how these hares react to me, after all."

"I hadn't thought of that." Savy admitted. He grabbed at his ears and yanked them down in a show of anxiety. "I don't bally like this." He whined.

"You're the one who told off a pair of armed hares in my defence, now you're getting nervous?" Xavier teased.

"When you put it like that you make me sound flipping stupid." Savy grumbled. He turned around and gulped, looking at Lord Russano who was only a few seats away, discussing which hares he would be taking to Mossflower with them. "Ah, sah? Lord Russano, sah?" He asked timidly.

"Yes Savyon?" Lord Russano asked.

"Well, there's something I forgot to mention, about my sister, you see she's a little unusual, well a lot unusual, and I'm a little worried, a lot worried actually-"

"Spit it out, lad!" An old, grizzled hare barked at him. Savy cringed and fidgeted.

"Well sah, my sister Rosie, she's a fox." He managed to stutter out. Silence fell as everyone in hearing range stopped what they were doing and stared at him. Except for Lord Russano, who folded his massive paws in front of him and nodded his head.

"Did you know something about this, my Lord?" Xavier asked.

"The walls of Salamandastron are carved with prophesies." Russano said simply. "I did not understand the one in particular, until now. So there is a possibility that one of the vermin we will be up against is not a vermin at all."

"Yes sah." Savy looked ready to melt with relief. "She's a jolly goodbeast too sah, she's not going to become a bloody vermin. If she's with them when we start fighting you'll know her as the only fox screaming Eulalia at the top of her lungs and boxing like a proper blinking hare."

"A description of her would be useful as well." Lord Russano said patiently. "Any identifying marks or traits so that we don't have to do any guesswork."

"Well, let's see, her eyes are very green, which I'm told is not a usual colour for most beasts." Savy said. "There's also under her chin a patch of white fur that looks almost exactly like a little maple leaf. Other than that I can't think of anything else."

"It should be enough." Lord Russano assured him. "In any case it sounds like she'll be doing her best to get away from the vermin and not seem like our enemy."

"You can be blinking sure of that!" Savy said happily. "My sister's a proper hare, wot! Even if her ears are too short and her tail's too long."

"Never heard of such a thing." One of the old hares muttered. "A fox raised by hares?"

"I was raised by a host of many creatures." Lord Russano said calmly. "We should judge beasts by their actions and not by the fur they wear, Captain Brybuck."

"Of course m'lord." Captain Brybuck said. "I was only commenting about the strangeness of it, wot!"

"Stranger things have happened." Lord Russano said serenely. "Tonight we have a wildcat at our table, sharing in our meal as a friend. Tell me, Xavier, what travels have brought you here?"

"I'm not that exciting, really."Xavier demurred. "My family was warriors, we protected the northern coastlands from raiders, but my eyes… I can't see things properly that are close to me, so even if I had had the compulsion to be a warrior, I would not have been able to, so I went travelling instead, hoping to learn new things, see new sights."

"I may have something that could help your eyesight." Lord Russano mused. "If you will accompany me after dinner, I can show you."

"I would be most grateful, my lord." Xavier said, inclining his head politely.

"Will you be accompanying us on our journey?" Lord Russano asked.

"Of course he bloody well is!" Savy said. "Er, aren't you, old chap?" He asked Xavier sheepishly.

"I have been wanting to go to Mossflower." Xavier answered. "And you do seem to need someone to look out for you."

"Hey!" Savy protested. Some of the hares around them chuckled at his indignant expression.

"What's it like, living with a fox?" One of the younger hares asked Savy.

"My sister is a hare, she only looks like a fox." Savy said firmly. "Honestly, I've never thought it was blinking odd at all. She's always been there."

"She's never shown any sort of nasty behaviour?" The hare persisted.

"Not a whit, the gel is a hare through and through." Savy said. "Perilous, brave, and a champion scoffer as well, wot!" Savy chuckled. "The vermin will probably throw her out, because she's eating them out of blinking house and home!"

"Seeing how much you eat, I can believe that." Xavier said, eying Savy's eighth plateful of food. Savy scowled at him.

"Been living on flipping foraging for days, first good meal I've had since I started on this journey." Savy replied. "Not that your skills at foraging are anything to blinking sneeze at, my good lad."

"Thank you." Xavier said sardonically. Lord Russano had finished speaking with his hares and was standing up. The massive badger gestured for Xavier to follow him. Xavier got up, heart pounding at the thought of being alone with a creature that he was completely dwarfed by.

"You have nothing to fear from me." Lord Russano said quietly as they walked. Xavier looked up at him, startled. "I can sense your apprehension."

"Is that why you were so quick to believe us, because I was afraid?" Xavier asked.

"One of the reasons, yes." Lord Russano said. Xavier mulled that over in his head.

"The prophesy you spoke of was also about us, wasn't it?" He asked.

"I did not know it for sure until you were brought to me and then the pieces fell into place." Lord Russano replied. "It is the way with most prophesies." He opened the door into a room that Xavier discovered was a forge, currently dark and cool. Russano walked over to a shelf and began picking up various pairs of eyeglasses. "It is not uncommon for badgers, who live so long, to find their eyesight failing in their later lives. Many prepare for such eventualities by forging their own spectacles for varying degrees of sight loss."

"Wise of them, I suppose." Xavier said lamely. Russano chuckled, the deep sound not unlike thunder and walked back over to Xavier, surprisingly light on his feet for a creature his size.

"Try these, tell me how they seem." He said, holding out a pair of eyeglasses. "They'll likely have to be cut a little down to size, in order to fit you."

Xavier held up the eyeglasses, blinking as he settled them on his head. "Holy acorns!" He cried, suddenly able to see his own paw in front of his face clearly for the first time. "I'm very spotty, aren't I?" He marvelled and then folded his ears back in embarrassment. Russano only chuckled however.

"Good to see it works." He said. "How is the size?"

"They could be smaller, but it's mostly the earpieces, the spectacles themselves are fine." Xavier replied. Russano nodded his head.

"You're probably tired." He said. "I'll escort you out and find one my hares to bring you to your friend. You can tell him we will be marching out in two days. That should make him happy."

"Yes, sir."


	9. Chapter 9

Star: I own nothing!

Deyna watched as Rosie hovered in the doorway of the Great Hall, clearly looking for a space to sit at one of the tables, one where she wouldn't be glared at or ignored. He caught her eye and discreetly waved her over.

"Deyna, matey, what're you doing?" Nimbalo asked.

"She is not our enemy, and she feels hopelessly out of place here." Deyna replied. "I am extending an invitation, as I would any other nervous beast."

"Most other beasts aren't foxes." Nimbalo hissed.

"She's a hare, she just looks like a fox." Deyna replied. Nimbalo grumbled, but didn't say anything more when Rosie bounced up.

"I say, spiffing day, wot!" She said cheerily. "Sun's a'shining and the apples are just bally right for the eating."

"Have you been pilfering from the kitchens?" Deyna asked.

"Course not, I'm not blinking stupid." Rosie sniffed. "Plucked right off the tree, wot!"

"What do you mean you're not stupid?" Nimbalo asked. "Not stupid enough to get caught, I'll bet."

"I'm not that sneaky." Rosie confessed. "Best I can do is pop out at my brother and he doesn't pay any flipping attention to the world around him most days, so that's not bally hard. Nope, I just mean I know I'm not exactly… liked by a lot of creatures here, and I don't blame them, but I'm really kind of tiptoeing about right now, afraid to put a paw out of bally step and get tossed out on my tail, and now I'm rambling, sorry old bean, Savy and my da do it, well da did do it too."

"Miz Rosie, can oi sit wi' ee?" Deyna looked down to see little Boru tugging at Rosie's frock.

"Well I say little chap, I think that's a spiffing idea, you can help me pick out the bally best things to eat, wot!" Rosie declared. Boru clamoured up into Rosie's lap.

"Oi loike th' deeper'n ever poie." He said.

"Well point me in the right direction, my lad, hop to it." Rosie teased. Nimbalo gave Deyna a pointed look.

"Wouldn't you be happier sitting with your friends?" The mouse asked Boru.

"Miz Rosie is moi friend." Boru said. "And she be lonely, looken' loike a foxybeast but beez a harebeast on 'e insoide."

"Wise little chap, aren't you?" Rosie chuckled, rubbing his head. "Alright sah, what am I eating today?" Boru loaded both their plates with as much food as he could, pie, cheeses, breads, candied chestnuts and an assortment of fresh fruit. "Feast fit for bally kings, right my little chappie?"

"Burrhurr, yes." Boru chuckled, tucking into his meal. Rosie followed suit with gusto. Deyna saw Sister Alkanet glaring at Rosie and shook his head sternly at her. She turned her nose up disdainfully at him, but did not say anything. When he looked back at Rosie and Boru he found the two of them trading bites of food off each others' plates.

The meal was interrupted by one of Skipper's otters trotting in and announcing "There's vermin outside our gate." A hush fell over the Great Hall and Deyna saw some beasts look at Rosie.

"Alright." Mhera said, drawing their attention. "We need to do this rationally. Deyna, what do you suggest?"

"Take a small party up to the walls, don't show them how many we actually have. Slings, and bows if we have any. Rosie, I think you should come." Deyna said.

"Was thinking the same blinking thing, old bean." Rosie said, her green eyes serious. "Put to rest any bally confusion about my presence here, wot."

"Keep everyone else inside." Deyna instructed, standing up. Mhera stood up as well. Skipper's otters, Broggle, Fwirl, Rosie and Boorab got up too, Rosie gently setting Boru down on the ground.

"Oi want t'come." Boru protested. Rosie gave Deyna a helpless look.

"Boru, we have a special job for you." Mhera said, getting down on one knee beside the Dibbun. "We want you to look after all the other Dibbuns in here. It's a big job, do you think you can do it?"

"Oi most serpintly can, Abbess." He replied, puffing his chest out.

"Good." Mhera said, standing up again. She led the way out onto the grounds and up onto the walltop. Standing on the path was a large, dark red furred fox at the head of a small company of assorted vermin. Deyna saw Rosie's lip curl up in disgust out of the corner of his eye.

"Is one of you the head of this place?" The fox asked in a gruff voice.

"I am Abbess Mhera, what do you want here, fox?" Mhera said stiffly.

"I detect a hint of rudeness in your voice, aren't you lot supposed to be gentlebeasts?" The fox asked idly.

"To those that mean us no harm, yes, but yours have already proven hostile, so I feel no obligation to observe niceties." Mhera said. "Now, I will ask again, what do you want here?"

"You have taken a fox captive, that is an act of war against us." The fox replied. "Unless you surrender both the vixen and your stronghold to us, we will kill every last one of you inside. Return the vixen to us and we will be merciful."

"I am not going blinking anywhere you bushtailed blighter!" Rosie yelled. "And they haven't taken me captive and you bloody well know it, so go boil your bottom, Bludred!"

The fox, Bludred, looked taken aback. "You are a fox, not a whimpering, weak, docile woodlander!" He declared. "It's not natural!"

"I don't bally well care, and I am not a fox, I'm a hare, so I am a woodlander. Don't think that makes me any blinking less likely to kick your tail off though." Rosie warned. Bludred just stared at you. "And your name is just bally pretentious, doncha know?" Adding insult to injury.

"So there you have it, straight from Rosie herself. She does not want to go to you, nor will we hand her, or this Abbey, over to you without a fight." Mhera said. "This Abbey has stood firm against attacks from all manner of vermin, so I bid you to think twice before trying what so many others have failed to do."

"Don't think your threats frighten us, woodlander." Bludred said contemptuously. "We will only be back with my entire army, so unless you wish to die then I suggest you surrender now."

Deyna nodded at Nimbalo and the small mouse slung a stone at Bludred, catching him in the foot and making him yelp. "That's our answer, you mangy fleabag, now get out of here before we give you more of that!"

Bludred snarled, but he and the other vermin began to retreat. "You will be sorry, we will succeed where everyone else has failed!" He shouted as they retreated into the forest.

"All the others said that too." Mhera murmured, half to himself. "We will need to get every beast on the same page, start having sentries on the walltops again, figure out plans. Redwall has repelled hordes before, we can do it again."

"I probably made it worse though, didn't I marm?" Rosie said, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly. "Couldn't bally well keep my mouth shut, never could."

"It's fine, Rosie." Mhera assured her. "Our answer to their demands would have been the same whether or not you were here."

"Now they've got an added reason to attack us though." Nimbalo pointed out.

"If you are going to suggest we give them Miss Rosie, then I would suggest you keep that opinion to yourself." Mhera said icily.

"I agree with our Abbess. Even tactically speaking giving into one demand will make us look like we are weak. The stronger front we show the more likely they'll run away with their tails between their legs." Deyna said. "Besides, imagine how thrown off they'll be when there's what looks like a fox fighting against them."

"Psychological warfare, I like the way you think, Deyna, wot!" Boorab said, wiggling his ears. Rosie gave his ears an envious look.

"Right, I need a few of you to stay up here and keep watch." Skipper said. Rosie's paw shot up immediately.

"Least I can do, right?" She said. "After all, I'm a part of this blooming mess."

"I'll patrol with her." Nimbalo said. He obviously did not trust Rosie by herself. Mhera nodded and those not set to guarding the walltop went back inside to figure out plans for the coming days.


	10. Chapter 10

Star: I own nothing!

Xavier stared up at the sun above him, trying to drown out the sounds of Savy's complaining. They were in the middle of what felt like a sea of hares. When he'd seen so many hares were coming with them he had voiced his concern about Salamandastron. One of the older hares, a brawny veteran with a scar across one milky eye had chuckled.

"The mountain is not easily accessible by any means, and even if it were breached our hares know every inch of it and where they can make their stands to pick off any vermin unwise enough to walk the halls." Xavier had felt reassured.

"Whoever heard of a wildcat with spectacles, anyways?" Xavier sighed as Savy went on. "I mean it doesn't exactly scream dangerous blinking predator, now does it? Looks fair daft if you ask me, wot!" Xavier said nothing, but did roll his eyes. "When do you think we're going to get a bally rest? My mouth is drier than the desert and I feel like I can't flipping breathe."

"Well, maybe if you'd save your breath for actually breathing instead of chattering on, you'd be able to catch it." Xavier said irritably. Savy glared at him. "I'm just saying. I feel quite fine, and no one else is complaining."

"'Cause we know better, wot!" Some hare behind them quipped, setting off titters among the ranks. "Bellyachin' only gets you blinking dishwashing duties, so I'd bally well keep your mouth shut if I were you."

"I'm not under their command though, can't make me do the bloody dishes, can they?" Savy protested.

"We're in their ranks, eating their food, getting their protection, I'd say they can." Xavier replied. "Might just offer to do it myself, out of thanks."

"You bally well do that then." Savy huffed. "I'm going to be too flipping tired to do anything but fall right asleep when we stop for the night."

"You'll miss dinner then." Xavier pointed out.

"Ah the things I sacrifice." Savy sighed dramatically. Xavier chuckled and looked forward. Since he was taller than the hares he could see over their ears, but there wasn't much to see. Much of the view ahead was just blocked by more hares, and at the front, the Badger Lord himself.

Xavier adjusted his spectacles and put a paw on the rapier Lord Russano had given him, correctly gauging his preferred weapon with only a glance. Savy had declined any weapons with a sniff of distaste and a reminder that he was a boxing hare. Xavier thought it was stupid of Savy, but the headstrong hare never listened much, unless it was to do with dinner or his sister. It was going to be a long march for them both though if he didn't shut up.

Thankfully Savy seemed to run out of steam by midday and lapsed into blessed silence. Xavier wondered once more what he was doing in this army. He was a scholar, not a warrior. In the end though, he was loath to abandon his new friend, the first true friend he'd had, and he had the feeling he needed to watch Savy's back, especially since the hare refused to carry a weapon.

They ate lunch while marching, Lord Russano wanting all haste in getting to Redwall. A few times the hares of Salamandastron started marching songs and he and Savy tried to join in, although Savy's singing voice was more like the shriek of a gull. All in all it wasn't too bad of a day. Xavier knew that tomorrow his footpads would be sore and his legs would be stiff from the pace, so he tried to enjoy his last moments without pain for the foreseeable future.

They had made it farther than he and Savy had by the end of the first day of marching. Many of the hares were attempting to cool their paws in the ocean, and finding out too late that salt in any cuts stung like mad. Xavier just sat down and massaged his footpads, listening to Savy chunnering away to himself again.

"Marching us until the last blinking light is gone from the sky and then some." The young hare was saying. "Could have stepped on root, gotten my ankle caught in a bloody hole and then what? Think they'd leave a wounded beast behind."

"I'd hardly think so." Xavier replied. "Especially since you are their best bet at identifying your sister."

"The things I do for that gel." Savy sighed dramatically.

"And you never thought there was something blinking well odd about her, growing up?" One of the hares nearby asked, curiously.

"Just thought she was an odd looking hare, wot!" Savy shrugged. "Up until our da came clean at least, and by then it didn't matter, doncha know. She was my blinking sister, whether I liked it or not."

"You do like it though?" The other hare asked.

"I say, what's your name?" Savy asked.

"Brae." The hare answered.

"Do you have any brothers or sisters?" Savy asked.

"Three older brothers." Brae replied in a tone that suggested he sometimes wished he didn't have so many.

"Well, do you like having brothers, when they're not being flipping annoying that is?"

"Of course."

"Well it's just the same for me and Rosie." Savy shrugged again. "Only difference is that Rosie doesn't look quite the same, but she's a bally hare and will box anyone who tries to tell her different. So will I, for that matter."

"Fair enough, I suppose." Brae nodded. "What about you? How'd you get all mixed up in this, eh?"

Xavier realized Brae was talking to him. "Oh, I just found Savy being besieged by toads and decided to help him. For some reason he decided to drag me along."

"Forgive me for saying this, but you gave most of us a jolly good fright walking into Salamandastron." Brae said, grinning. "We grew up on stories about the wildcat, Ungat Trunn, who tried to take Salamandastron, and Tsarmania, the wildcat queen who ruled over Mossflower Woods until Martin the Warrior came along."

"Martin the Warrior, now there's a mouse that I would have liked to meet." Xavier mused. "It's true we wildcats do have a dubious reputation, mostly, I think, because of our nature as warriors. However, my family was never interested in conquests, merely keeping our own lands safe was enough work for us."

"Why is that?" Brae asked.

"The Northlands are a harsher place than these, it's harder for beasts to make a living and many prey on others in order to get their needs." Xavier explained. "There's a number of families that mine has pledged to protect, some mice, some voles and even one family of ermine who used to be slaves."

"Ermine!" Brae exclaimed. "Well, if a fox can jolly well be a hare, I suppose an ermine can be a goodbeast." He admitted. "Makes one wonder, doesn't it?"

"Wonder about what?" Savy queried.

"What makes beasts wicked in the first place." Brae said, looking up at the stars. "Could a creature that normally is considered a goodbeast go wicked, do you think?"

"I've seen some that run in the gangs that harass good creatures up north, not many, but enough to take note of." Xavier said. "I guess it depends on the creature, I suppose. Where they've come from, what they've seen, what their personality is like. Anybeast could be wicked, anybeast could be good."

"That is a wise thing to say." Xavier looked up as the bulk of Lord Russano blotted out the stars. His face was creased in a kindly smile as he looked down on the three of them. "I'm glad to see you are making friends among my hares, I know many are wary of you."

"It's not their fault, my lord." Xavier replied. "And I do not know if I am wise, just have seen a few things."

"Ah, but with experience comes wisdom." Lord Russano replied. "Before today I doubt young Brae would have thought of any creature we normally consider vermin to be goodbeasts. Now he has gained that knowledge, would you not call him wiser in the ways of the world."

"I guess so." Xavier conceded. "It'll be many years though before I actually feel wise, seeing as I trip over my own paws often enough still."

"As do I." Lord Russano replied with a twinkle in his eye. "No one ever said wise beasts could not be silly as well."


End file.
